Update

Practice nurse membership

If you (or your practice) employ practice nurses, they can apply to become members of MPS in their own right. On 1 March 2014, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) withdrew its indemnity arrangements for practice nurses.

The benefits of MPS membership are provided on an occurrence basis. This means that members can apply for assistance with complaints and claims arising from incidents that occur during their membership – even if it is brought years after they have left MPS or cease to practise for any reason.

Out of hours

Nurses working in urgent or out of hours care should contact the Membership Service Centre to discuss their application.

Why is indemnity for nurses important?

If you as a GP employ a practice nurse you must ensure the nurse has appropriate and adequate indemnity for their own acts and omissions. The benefi ts of GP membership of MPS do not include indemnity for your vicarious liability for the nurse.

If you as a GP employ a practice nurse you must ensure the nurse has appropriate and adequate indemnity for their own acts and omissions

If you have any questions regarding practice nurse membership please feel free to contact Rachel Lynch on: [email protected], 087 2867491, or visit www.medicalprotection.org/Ireland/practice-nurses for more information.

Midwives – Please note, MPS does not provide membership for the provision of midwifery services. However, membership does extend to practice nurses participating in basic antenatal care including weight measuring, blood pressure, and urinalysis. Additionally, MPS membership does not extend to practice nurses undertaking the assessment of foetal growth, presentation, viability or scanning, or postnatal care.

Revised guidance on Good Professional Practice

During the latest Medical Council’s term, the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Professionals (2009) will be reviewed and revised. In the meantime, paragraph 21 of the Guide has been updated to refl ect the new Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, commenced from January 2014.

The up-to-date guide can be viewed on the Medical Council’s website.

MPS on tour...

Come and say hello at the ICGP Summer School on 26-28 June, where MPS Regional Membership Co-ordinator Rachel Lynch will be on hand to answer your membership questions.

GP events – first quarter 2014

MPS’s Clinical Risk Programme Manager Julie Price ran a session on the importance of keeping good medical notes at the ICGP Education day on 31 January at the IMI in Sandyford.
The ICGP Trainers gathered together on 27-28 February in the Radisson in Athlone for two days of training. MPS’s Dr Mark Dinwoodie ran a session on ‘How to teach Professionalism to your Trainee’ – this session was very well-received and there has been a request for follow-up sessions. (Find out more in his featureLINK p10).
MPS sponsored the RCGP (Irish Faculty) Spring Meeting on 29 March in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin. The day focused on ‘The GP and the Law’ and all the practical elements involved, such as report writing. The day was very well-attended and enjoyed by all delegates.
We are in our second year of free GP Trainee Risk Management workshops. We have facilitated more than seven so far this year. For further information please contact [email protected].

A date for your diary...

This year’s MPS GP Conference will be held on Saturday 13 September at The Convention Centre Ireland, in Dublin. For further details click here.

Testamentary capacity »